GRANT HEPBURN helps you take your game to the next level.
This drill is great for learning the correct wrist hinge in your golf swing.
I like to think of the wrist hinge as an additional lever in the swing – one that creates extra power when released and helps you to make good contact with the ball. By cocking your wrists, you can load up your backswing and store up some power in your hands that can be released through impact.
The correct way of setting your wrists is to have some upward wrist-set, as well as some backward wrist-set. This may sound a bit strange, but I’ll explain what I mean, and how to get it right, in the drill sequence below.
Getting it right
From address, I set my wrists straight upward, without using my arms – just the wrists. To do this, I hinge my club out in front of me until it is parallel to the ground.
Next, I set my wrists back on themselves until the club is parallel to my feet, again without moving my arms and just using my wrists.
At this point, you should check to see that the clubface is perpendicular to the ground, which indicates that the clubface is square at that point.
This is a good, loaded position early in the backswing, and I suggest that from here you continue to swing to the top and then hit the ball. It will give you an excellent feeling of the correct wrist position at the top of the swing.
Getting it wrong: no backward set
I see a couple of very common mistakes that amateurs make when it comes to setting their wrists.
The first is when they only have an upward wrist cock. As I show in the incorrect sequence, this often leads to an overly long backswing, with a high right elbow and an open clubface.
Generally, this results in an over-the-top downswing that leads to slices and pull-hooks.
Getting it wrong: no upward set
The other mistake that ammies often make is only having the backward wrist cock in their backswing.
As I show in this sequence, this often leads to a short, flat swing, with a closed clubface that can cause hooks and blocked shots.
– This article first appeared in the April 2023 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine.
– Hepburn has been a regular face in Compleat Golfer for more than a decade. His CV includes time coaching on the European and PGA Tours, and an impressive list of top amateurs and pros. He is the CEO of Golf RSA and the South African Golf Development Board. Follow him on Twitter @granthepburn.
